Förster-Fuchs Retinal Spot

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Description

Förster-Fuchs retinal spot is a raised, pigmented, circular scar on the retina. This particular form of retinal scarring follows areas of degeneration and neovascularisation related to high myopia. It is named after Ernst Fuchs, who described a pigmented lesion in 1901, and Carl Förster, who described neovascularisation of the retina in 1862.

Myopia ('short-sightedness') arises as a result of a globe with high axial length (ie a long globe as measured from front to back) - see separate article Refraction and Refractive Errors for more details. In some highly myopic patients, the axial length never stabilises - a condition known as progressive myopia.

In patients with high myopia (6 dioptres or more) and progressive myopia, the back of the eye is prone to degenerative change characterised by pale, well circumscribed, tessellated patches of chorioretinal atrophy. These occur both centrally and peripherally, and their size is related to the degree of myopia. They are prone to develop breaks in one of the retinal layers - the Bruch's membrane - which results in cracking throughout the lesion (like lacquer cracks). Subsequent neovascularisation and macular haemorrhage lead to a pigmented scar known as the Förster-Fuchs spot. This raised, pigmented, circular lesion develops after the macular haemorrhage has been absorbed.

Other changes in high myopics include a tilted disc with associated atrophy, early age posterior vitreous detachment, zonular dehiscence (ie the zonules holding taut the capsular bag containing the crystalline lens) and pigment dispersion syndrome.

Epidemiology

The prevalence of progressive myopia shows geographical variation (eg, it is high in Spain and in Japan). However, generally it is thought to occur in 1-10% of myopic eyes.

Up to one third of severely myopic eyes can show degenerative changes.[1]

This can strike at any age but it is a very significant cause of blindness in young people in developed countries.

A study in Australia found the spots in 3 of 3,654 elderly people, giving a prevalence of 0.1% in this age group.[2]

Risk factors

This is a condition seen in high myopia. There may be genetic and environmental influences (excessive near work) contributing to the myopia. Other associations with myopia include:

Investigations

Drugs

Pharmacological treatment is a new area with studies just emerging now. Intravitreal bevacizumab is the most recent candidate drug.[5] This needs to be given every three months (the invasive nature of intravitreal injections means there are risks of complications) but a 12-month prospective study has shown some promising results - albeit on a very small number of eyes.[6]

Surgical

Conventional treatments of laser photocoagulation or surgical extraction of the area of neovascularisation have shown limited effectiveness, partly due to the limitations of not being able to laser over the foveal area (this destroys it and central vision with it). Newly developed treatments such as foveal translocation or photodynamic therapy have had favourable results in the short term.[7]This was particularly so in the younger patient presenting with larger lesions but with a better initial visual acuity.[8] More randomised controlled trials are needed.

A vitrectomy may be carried out to prevent the particular type of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) which affects these eyes from leading to a traction maculopathy.[9]In one study, surgical excision of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes in high myopia brought improvement of visual acuity of at least two lines in 45% and no change in 37%.[10] Another trial showed similar results with the visual acuity improved by 2 or more Snellen lines in 39%, decreased in 35% and unchanged in 26%.[11]

Complications

Without treatment, atrophy occurs around the affected area.[7] The new vessels also cause traction on the retina which can lead to a retinal detachment. These patients are also at greater risk of developing macular holes.[9, 12]

Prognosis

A study from Moorfields Eye Hospital in 1983 showed a generally poor prognosis without intervention, with 43% of the patients losing two or more lines of vision, while 60% were less than or equal to 6/60 at last follow-up.[13]There was a direct relationship between visual acuity and the distance of the neovascular tissue from the fovea, and an inverse relationship between acuity and the size of the lesion.

Article Information

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